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Steve Huff tests SLR Magics 50/0.95
- Thread starter dude163
- Start date
ashwinrao1
Active member
Hi guys,
Thanks. First, I really enjoyed the lens. The focus throw is about a 90 degree turn of the focus from min focus to infinity. It's a shorter focus throw. The focussing ring stiffness varied from lens to lens, making rotational finger fatigue more dependent on how tight the ring was. I found focussing to be quite easy for a lens of such aperture. It was a delight to use.
SLR Magic has MTF charts that suggest optimal performance in wide apertures, with a drop off rather steeply thereafter. Everything they were going for was performance wide open, but has Steve showed on his site, the performance at f/4 is startling...some of the best I have ever seen, right up there with the 75 'cron.
As for cost, the lens costs more than $2500 to make, and the RF coupling is difficult and expensive. There'll be 2 versions (mechanically speaking, maybe more cosmetically), a RF and non-RF coupled version. I suspect that the lens will come in around $3500-$4000, but that's just an educated guess. The truth is that SLR Magic is still researching costs, and how to set the price to compete in the market and also determine their own part in the supply/demand equation.
Here's one more cropped shot with the lens:
Thanks. First, I really enjoyed the lens. The focus throw is about a 90 degree turn of the focus from min focus to infinity. It's a shorter focus throw. The focussing ring stiffness varied from lens to lens, making rotational finger fatigue more dependent on how tight the ring was. I found focussing to be quite easy for a lens of such aperture. It was a delight to use.
SLR Magic has MTF charts that suggest optimal performance in wide apertures, with a drop off rather steeply thereafter. Everything they were going for was performance wide open, but has Steve showed on his site, the performance at f/4 is startling...some of the best I have ever seen, right up there with the 75 'cron.
As for cost, the lens costs more than $2500 to make, and the RF coupling is difficult and expensive. There'll be 2 versions (mechanically speaking, maybe more cosmetically), a RF and non-RF coupled version. I suspect that the lens will come in around $3500-$4000, but that's just an educated guess. The truth is that SLR Magic is still researching costs, and how to set the price to compete in the market and also determine their own part in the supply/demand equation.
Here's one more cropped shot with the lens:
ashwinrao1
Active member
Yat, I would say that it compares quite favorably with the Noct. For many, it'd be as good as the much more expensive lens in practical use. I think that the Noct will likely be a better peformer along the entire aperture range, and the SLR magic will have a "fatter bokeh", but otherwise, the lenses would be neck and neck, with the SLR magic being larger (disfavor) but closer focusing (favor) than the Noct f/.95
Lloyd
Active member
Looks amazing. But then there is little that is not magic in your hands. :salute:
V
Vivek
Guest
Ashwin, The last picture you show seems to suggest what I said earlier- this may not cover (might illuminate) the whole full frame completely.
I would like to see the MTF charts and other data for whichever version they would sell.
I would like to see the MTF charts and other data for whichever version they would sell.
No image I took with my M9 nor any photo I saw suggests anything less than complete full frame coverage with the SLR Magic 50mm f/0.95 lens.
Best,
Bill
ashwinrao1
Active member
Andrew at SLR Magic reported that to compensate for vignetting, the lens elements were manufactured to provider greater-than-full frame coverage, thus allowing vignetting to be effectively beyond the full frame sensor coverage.....that's my understanding. Vignetting is minimal
V
Vivek
Guest
How do you explain these weird OOF renderings in the corner?
ashwinrao1
Active member
The lens has its own aberrations, just as does the Noictilux....D shaped OOF is what Leica does. The SLR magic has "soap bubble" specular highlights in some instances (bright rim around specular highlights). Not sure how that pertains to FF vs non-full frame.
V
Vivek
Guest
Set the lens to infinity (at f/0.95) and see if how far the sharpness extends from the center- that will show how much coverage is there.
Agree with Lloyd, and glad someone put this lens through it's low-light paces. Good job Ashwin.
OC Garza
Double Negative
Not Available
I'm really starting to dig this lens. Is it September yet?
Chuck Jones
Subscriber Member
Great job Ashwin! Many thanks for sharing this information with us. The lens looks very interesting indeed. I look forward to trying it out myself.
Chuck Jones
Subscriber Member
September? Well, I guess it's close enough for Government Work.
oke:Seriously though, this is a lens to look forward to shooting. It looks to have more "mojo" too than the Leica Noct that I owned. Wide aperture and mojo? What's not to love? :thumbs:
Lars
Active member
I'm not particularly impressed by the background defocus character - the bright edges make for a busy blur. Stepped down to 1.4 it will be fine, but then what's the point with such an extreme design?
V
Vivek
Guest
Yet another variation/sample is tested here (on cameras other than Leica):
Fullsize comparison SLR Magic HyperPrime CINE 50mm T0.95 - Leica Noctilux 50/0.95 ASPH et al
What makes this variant interesting is that, apparently, it is faster at T/0.95!
I wonder which variants will be eventually marketed with a set of a photos to go with each variant. These SLR magic 50/0.95s are already being sold on eBay and other places- no idea what they are.
EDIT: The link gives a link to SLR magic site and there all the details (price, etc) are listed.
Fullsize comparison SLR Magic HyperPrime CINE 50mm T0.95 - Leica Noctilux 50/0.95 ASPH et al
What makes this variant interesting is that, apparently, it is faster at T/0.95!
I wonder which variants will be eventually marketed with a set of a photos to go with each variant. These SLR magic 50/0.95s are already being sold on eBay and other places- no idea what they are.
EDIT: The link gives a link to SLR magic site and there all the details (price, etc) are listed.
Last edited:
Paul Jameson
New member
The bokeh looks more rough compared to the Noctilux. The Slr Magic seems to have a bit of barrel distortion too which I don't like.
My own usage and the comparisons I have seen suggest otherwise.
I would rate the SLR Magic as having superior bokeh to either the Noct 0.95 or the 50mm 'lux.
-Bill